King of the Mountain
by Irish Maverick
Summary: Third part of the Brotherly Hate series. Jason's back and has his sights set on all new goals, what trials will he face as he chases the Ultimate Prize? And just who is watching from the shadows just waiting to try and stop him?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own WWE, TNA or any other promotion mentioned or made fun of in this fic. Or Bon Jovi... Own a dog but that's about it. Thank you.

_Back by not-so-popular demand so it seems, anyway before we get started, yes this covers TNA, but not the TNA Hogoff are currently dismembering, for example Captain Charisma is still here... for the moment lol, anyway, check previous installments for just how different it is, let's get this party started. Don't like, don't read, simple as._

**King of the Mountain-Chapter One-Here We Go Again**

_"This is it"_ the young man thought, staring across at his opponent, a confident, arrogant smirk playing across his face as the other man narrowed his eyes.

"We gonna do this or what?" He asked prompting the glare to grow all the more dangerous as the opening bars or music hit.

"You're going down harder than your brother ever did Cena!" The reply causing Jason Cena to burst out laughing, running a hand through his light brown hair, his smirk got all the wider as the music grew louder, the teenager took a deep breath.

"Let's do this!" He yelled, grabbing the Guitar Hero control and spinning to face the TV, Cabana following half a step behind as the lyrics began.

_Tommy used to work on the docks_

_Union's been on strike_

_He's down on his luck... it's tough_

_So tough._

Jason laughed loudly as he and Cabana frantically hit the buttons as they appeared on screen, this had been his life for the past few weeks, after getting injured back in TNA the doctors, and management had barred him from setting foot in the Impact Zone, it pissed him off to no end but he had to admit it had been good for him, his body was healed up to the point he was just waiting to be told to come back and he was now almost a pro at any and all types of video games, Alex Shelley was gonna die when he got back.

_Gina works the diner all day_

_Working for her man, she brings home her pay_

_For love... for love._

"Not that I don't like this" Cabana commented. "But what the hell are we doing?"

"You mean you've never had the urge to play _'Livin on a Prayer' _on Guitar Hero on max volume at one in the morning in an English hotel room?" Jason asked only half jokingly, Cabana gave him a strange look.

"Can't say I have, no."

"Your loss dude" Jason smirked, in truth he'd only suggested it out of boredom, his girlfriend Mara was asleep in the next room (though he doubted she'd be for much longer) after a brutal indy show against a couple of the UK's finest women's wrestlers and he had been stuck with Colt Cabana for the night, while he liked the guy it wasn't how he'd seen his last indy date before being allowed back in the ring again ending, then again Cabana was still buzzing after wrestling his idol Johnny Saint and needed to let off energy somehow, which was how they'd ended up topless, standing on their beds playing various tracks on Guitar Hero.

_She says: We gotta hold on to what we've got_

_It doesn't make a difference_

_If we make it or not_

_We've got each other, and that's a lot_

"Here it comes!" Cabana laughed, Jason grinned but focused harder, chorus time.

_For love... we'll give it a shot_

Jason braced himself and cleared his throat, ready to scream along with the lyrics...

The game paused screen came on.

"Colt!" He yelled, furious at being cut off. "What the... oh."

"Sorry kid" Cabana muttered sheepishly before flinching as the angry girl who had ripped the control out of his hand looking like she wanted to brain the two of them with it, Jason gulped as the one person he truly feared fixed him with a glare.

"I take it you're not here to join in?" He asked as the girl advanced on him. "Mara? Honey? You look really hot when you're pissed?" He offered reaching out to muss her hair only to jump back as she swiped at him.

"I. Am. Trying. To. Sleep!" She hissed angrily fixing him with a glare that caused a shudder to run through him, Cabana struggling to hold in a laugh at the sight of a nineteen year old boy backing down in fear from his girlfriend. "I''ve just wrestled for almost an hour! I'm tired, and I've got bruises over half my damn body!"

Jason winced at the few bruises that were visible on Mara's arms and torso, it had been a _very_ hard hitting match. "Hey, you were the one who decided to face Saraya _and_ her daughter at the same time, what did you expect? And I offered to help with the bruises..."

"Jason!"

"Sorry ma'am" he gulped. "Just excited about finally getting to go back to work."

"Finally? You've only been out for a month!"

"Feels like a lot longer" Jason sighed. "Almost as though the dude writing the story of my life has been jerking me around for ages!"

"Easy on the fourth wall there 'Deadpool'." Cabana muttered.

"What?" Mara looked between the two in confusion before shrugging. "Whatever, I'm going back to bed, and yes I have the flight tickets and yes Jim does want us in the Impact Zone tomorrow night. Now keep. It. Down!"

"Love you too!" Jason called after him, smirking at the cry of exasparation Mara left behind, Cabana laughed.

"One day she's gonna kill you, you know that right?"

Jason laughed. "I know, but I like pushing my luck, which is why I chose this song next..."

Cabana's eyes went wide and he grabbed the control. "Totally worth dying for!"

"Indeed it is man" Jason laughed as the song began. "Let's do this... again."

_Just a small town girl..._

* * *

_So I'm back, in the wrasslin' fiction anyway hehe... it'll get better I swear, so what adventures face Jason on his return to TNA? How're his friends doing? What challenge will Mara face in the Women's division? Who knows?_

_Laters_


	2. Back in the Thick of Things

Disclaimer: Heard it before.

_So, here we go, what will Jason's return to TNA bring? Let's find out!_

**King of the Mountain-Chapter Two-Back in the Thick of Things**

"Late, late, late!" Mara hissed to herself as she dived out of the taxi and charged up the stairs towards the apartment she shared with her boyfriend, who exited the vehicle at a far slower pace.

"I'll just pay shall I?" He yelled after her to no reply. "And carry the bags? By myself?"

"I don't think she's listening" the driver laughed.

"Yeah, I gathered that."

"Is she always wound so tight?"

"Only when we're wrestling, and when she's running on absolutely no sleep" he added more to himself, wincing he ran over the week's schedule, from America to Japan, Japan to Germany, then to the UK, and finally back home just in time to make it to the Impact Zone for whatever Jim Cornette had been so keen on him being there for. He yawned loudly, jetlag really was a bitch, and that was without him wrestling, how Mara was still going was anyone's guess, five to one said she'd crash as soon as Impact was over, he laughed to himself as he paid the driver, his girlfriend really was something else.

"Home sweet home" he muttered lugging the heavy bags behind him, he laughed again as he heard Mara dashing about inside tracking down fresh and clean ring gear to pack whilst trying to make sure the shower was warm enough for her to have a quick cleanup, Jason dumped the bags behind the door just as Mara barged past him on the way to the shower.

"Excuse you!" He commented as the door slammed shut. He sighed and headed into the spare bedroom where he stocked all his gear, smiling as he picked up his boots to pak them.

"Damn I've missed you guys" he muttered as Mara swore from the bathroom prompting another laugh, it was always fun when his girlfriend was panicking, surely she'd realised by now that taking a relaxed look at things was a lot easier? Not to mention that ninety percent of the time he was right? Shrugging he pulled another bag out from under the bed and dropped the boots in before raking through the rest of his gear, jean shorts, tank top, pads, wrist tape, all present and correct he noted dropping them in the bag. All done in less than a minute.

"I'm ready!" He yelled through the bathroom door on his way to hit the button on the answer machine.

"You have, five, new messages."

"We've been away a week and only have five messages? And here was I thinking we were popular" he muttered as the first one began playing.

_"Hey kids, it's the boss"_ Cornette's voice rang out. _"I know we've been talking about this but I just wanna remind you that you NEED to be at Impact this week, and I need you there early so nobody knows you're here, hell if you can get here before the ring crew then do it, see ya at the show."_

"So much for that..."

_"Hey partner, or should that be former partner?"_ Jason laughed at the voice of his enemy turned partner turned friend turned friendly rival AJ Styles. _"Just calling to remind you that I'M main eventing at the first pay-per-view since we lost the gold, what are you doing? Oh sorry gotta go, I need to prepare for my MAIN EVENT match, laters."_

Jason shook his head, remembering his challenge to AJ when they'd ended the team, both guys now had their sights firmly locked on the NWA World Title, or they had before the NWA had decided to end it's association with TNA and take its belt with it, TNA now had no World champion, a quickly designed set of tag titles wrapped around the waist's of America's Most Wanted (Jason's blood still boiled at the mention of the team that had injured him, sure it had only been a month but still, and injury was a damn injury!) and of course the good old X Division title that had until recently been held by his good friend Chris Sabin, Jason made a quick mental note to poke some fun at Chris about that. But still AJ had made the most of his promise to chase the gold and while not wrestling for it, he was still in the main event at Sacrifice.

_"Hello Jason"_ the third message drew him out of his trance, frowning he tried to place where he'd heard the voice from. _"I just wanted to see if you'd reconsidered my offer of a place in the Age of the Fa..."_

"Oh hell no!" Jason snapped skipping past the message and ending Jimmy Jacobs' speech. "No way in hell, and not just because I don't want to dress as an emo, then again for a signed copy of the 'Ballad For Lacey'..."

_"Yo guys!" _This time Jason's own voice rang out from the machine, he laughed and turned to where Mara was emerging from the bathroom, looking disturbed and confused. "_Just calling to say I hate flying! By the way, since you're getting this later doesn't this mean I'm technically calling myself from the past? How cool is THAT?"_

"Very" the teen laughed as Mara groaned in annoyance. "What? I got bored at the airport!"

"You have a problem, seek help" Mara muttered as the last message, received not that long prior began playing.

_"Yeah, remember I said get here early? Well I just wanted to repeat that along with WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? The show start's in two hours and nobody's seen you since you left England! Am I talking to myself here..."_

_"Jimmy, remember your blood pressure"_ came a voice from the background.

_"Screw my blood pressure Matt! Anyway, call me as soon as you get this or I swear to God at the next Ring of Honor show I will stick one of you in tag matches with Adam Pearce, and the other with Lacey! Got it?"_

The line went dead, both teens exchanged a nervous look.

"Good luck teaming with Pearce" Jason joked as the phone began ringing, Mara reached it first and held it at arm's length as an angry tirade of yelling emerged.

"Jim, I'm sorry, our flight got delayed... fair enough but I don't see how that's our... look we're on our way now, by the way did it occur to you to call our cell phones?" Jason gaped at his girlfriend as the line actually went silent. "Well then who's screwup was that? Look we're leaving right now, see you when we get there" not even waiting for Cornette's answer she hung up the phone and dashed out of sight, Jason pondered for a moment then shrugged.

"Right now? So you're not gonna put clothes on? That's so hot!" Mara's angry face appeared in the doorway holding one of her boots. "... I love you?"

* * *

"Am I the only one with a massive sense of déja-vu here?" Jason muttered as the two teens quietly slipped through the Impact Zone behind the bleachers, the show looked to have only just started.

"How do you mean?"

"Think about it, when we first came here we had to skulk around without being seen for some big surprise Jimmy has planned, fast forward to today, one year later and here we are again, all that's changed is we're a little bit more liked now."

Mara laughed. "You might actually have a point there."

"Really?"

"Yeah, first time for everything" she smirked, jumping out of reach of his swipe, she paused and looked through a gap in the bleachers. "Is that the Smash Brothers?"

"Huh?" Jason peeked through just in time to see a boot almost remove one of the wrestlers' in question head from their shoulders. "That _was_ the Smash Brothers" he commented as the opponent of the fallen wrestler came off the top-rope with an elbow for the three-count.

"Hey, Jay and Sonjay won!" Mara cheered as they watched two of their closest friends get their hands raised.

"Mara, think about what you just said, Sonjay _never_ wins!"

"Is that him celebrating?"

Jason peered through the bleachers again. "Damn, things really _have_ changed!"

Mara just shook her head and led the way to Jim Cornette's offce, the security posted outside parted to let them through, Cornette was nowhere to be seen, neither was his muscle Matt Morgan, but Jason's attention was drawn to the belt that lay on the desk.

"Wow, cool belt."

"Must be the new World title" Mara commented as her boyfriend picked it up and inspected it up close. "You sure you wanna do that?"

"Well, it'll be mine soon anyway" Jason answered. "Just thought I'd see how good I looked with it" he threw the belt over his shoulder and turned to the mirror. "Oh yeah, I'm liking this."

"Would look better on me though."

"Yeah, you look good in almost anything" Jason conceded. "Even better without though" his laugh turned into a hiss of pain at the not-quite-playfull dig in the ribs Mara gave him. "Totally worth it."

"One of these days Jason..." Mara let the sentance trail off as she put the belt back on Cornette's desk, Jason jumped into the boss' seat and flipped on the monitor before putting his feet up on the desk. "You really don't give a crap about anything do you?"

"No... except you, and Kingdom Hearts, and Sonic the Hedgehog... and Subway" Jason listed, Mara shook her head, she'd learned early in the relationship that Jason was probably the most random person walking the planet, the best way to deal with him was to smile and nod. Doing just that she gave him another dig to make him move slightly and sat on him before settling back to watch the show.

"Mara... I can't see."

"Your problem not mine."

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

Laughing the two turned back to the monitor and settled back to watch the show and wait for Cornette.

* * *

"Don't even think about it" Mara muttered as they watched AMW putting a beating on their opponents for the night, she felt Jason tense in the chair behind her and glanced over her shoulder, Jason's eyes had narrowed and his fist clenched the side of the chair. "Bigger fish to fry remember?"

Jason nodded but his eyes narrowed even more as AMW hit the Death Sentance on one of their opponents to get the win, Mara shook her head and went to turn off the monitor in the hopes of calming him down but both teens froze as the sound of machine gun's rang out through the arena, AMW turned to one of the entrance ramps but two figures hopped the security rails around the ring behind them, the champions turned and got hit with springboard clotheslines from Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin! Mara laughed as the two double dropkicked Chris Harris to the outside then turned to James Storm, Chris got him with a spinkick to the gut which Alex followed up with a superkick, Storm stayed upstanding so Alex nailed another while Chris hit an enziguri! Storm slumped to the ground and Harris pulled him to the outside as Alex and Chris grabbed the titles and held them up before laying the belts down and leaving the same way they had entered.

"No sooner do I lose the titles they decide to chase 'em" Jason laughed. "How convenient."

Mara went to reply but the door to the office opened and Cornette entered with his bodyguard.

"OK, make a note of that, AMW versus the Guns this Sunday" Cornette was saying. "About time those kids got a shot."

"I suggested that back when they first got together" Morgan replied.

"Well then I'm taking your advice, now what about the women's match?"

Morgan frowned. "We're one short if we want it to be a five-on-five."

"Maybe we can help?" Mara spoke up causing the two men to jump.

"How long have you two been in here?"

"The start of the show" Jason answered. "Nice chair."

"Outta my seat Jason!" Cornette yelled prompting both teens to leap to their feet, he measured the two up before offering his hand. "Damn it's good to see you kid, it's been a real quiet month without you."

Jason shook it. "Well, I'm back, what was so important I got called back early?"

Cornette sat down with a sigh. "It's been a rough month, the NWA pulled out, now we don't have a World champ, I've had every guy from Jeff Jarrett down to Shark Boy saying they should get the new belt, management are coming down on me to freshen up the main event scene, not to mention we've had to hire more women to fill the division.

"And that's a bad thing?" Mara asked. "I get some new competition and the more girls around here the more likely it is we finally get a title made."

"I agree with her" Jason nodded. "And not just because I want her to add another title to our collection."

"Anyway" Cornette continued. "They want the World title thing cleared up and cleared up soon, which is why I've decided to wait until the King of the Mountain at Slammiversary before putting the belt on the line, that way we can get the top five guys in the same match and get a little prestige, which means I need ten guys to narrow down into the five, which is why I brought you back now."

"I like where this is going" Jason smirked.

"I've made a list of the ten guys I need to narrow down, Jarrett, Sting, Christian Cage, AJ, Samoa Joe, Raven, Rhino, Steiner, Tomko and... you."

Jason grinned. "So, you want me as one of your main eventers?"

"I need to freshen it up kid, you've come close, you almost had a shot back in November, I want to know, can you step up to the plate and take the next step?"

"The question is, is the main event ready for me?" Jason replied.

"That's the answer I wanted" Cornette smirked. "Now here's what I have pl... oh God damnit!" He snapped as Christian's music hit in the arena and the man himself appeared on the monitor flanked by Tomko and armed with a mic and a chair. "Always when I don't need it..."

"If you want I can take care of him for ya" Jason joked, Cornette shook his head and stood up.

"No, but I do want you to stay here with Matt and wait for your cue."

Jason nodded as Jim left the room, looking from Morgan to Mara he laughed and shook his head.

"Damn I've missed this place."

* * *

In the ring Christian had set up the chair and taken a seat, Tomko stood guard behind him as he sighed heavily and raised his mic.

"So, let me get this straight, for the past few weeks I've been waiting to find out how TNA are gonna compensate me for taking the NWA World title from me without me losing it, I was never pinned, I never submitted but the NWA decides to cut itself loose and I get stripped of a belt I made mean something? Now I get told Jim Cornette has an announcement regarding me, the new TNA World title and Sacrifice and I get here to find out that the main event doesn't even involve me? AJ and Sting against Steiner and Jarrett? Those guys couldn't lace Tomko's boots let alone mine!"

He turned to high-five his bodyguard before going back to the mic.

"So here's what's going to happen, I'm going to sit here, and I'm gonna stay here until Jim Cornette comes out and makes his announcement, that announcement being that either tonight, or at Sacrifice, he is going to hand me the new TNA World title and let me carry on leading..." Christian trailed off as Cornette marched down towards the ring and stepped in, staring a hole through the seated wrestler the whole time.

"Please, don't get up, I ain't in the mood for this crap so I'm gonna make this quick, you wanna know what my announcement was? Well here we go, firstly, you will _not_ be handed the new TNA World title, you have to win the King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary if you want it so damn bad!"

Christian flipped, Tomko tried to restrain him as Cornette continued.

"And if you think that you're already in that match, think again, because just like everyone else you have to qualify for that too!"

Christian raised his mic. "Oh really? Fine! Give me a date and I'll walk right through whoever faces me just like I'll cakewalk the King of the Mountain match!"

Cornette laughed. "I'm glad you feel that way, because here's how it's gonna go down, this Sunday you will have your qualifier, and you're gonna be facing someone who I have hand picked to shatter the glass ceiling you seem to have put around the main event, and he's gonna use your head to do it!"

"Who is it?" Christian yelled, trying to shrug Tomko off.

"You wanna know? Well you know what? Let's bring him out!"

Some new music hit in the arena, the TNA crowd went quiet not sure who was going to emerge, after a short pause they exploded as Jason led Mara out into the arena, stopping on the stage he smirked at Christian, who had now totally lost it, and carried on making his way to the ring, Cornette handed him his mic and left as Christian broke free of Tomko.

"You? Is this some kind of joke? I get stripped of my title and I have to face _you_ to try and get it back? Really?" Jason remained silent as Christian ranted. "Why is it that every chance you get you get involved in my business? Up North I had shot after shot at your brother, and you were always there, I try to take the step up and you were always in my way, I come down here and there you were, in my way again, and now, _now_, you stand there with that stupid grin on your face in my way again!"

Jason just shrugged and turned to Mara but Christian spun him back around.

"You look at _me_ when I'm talking to you! Y'know what? It's fine, because if you remember, nobody has beaten you more than me, _nobody!_ How's that?" Jason just stared a hole through him. "I said how's that? You arrogant little punk?"

Jason rolled his eyes sighed, he looked Christian dead in the eyes and raised his mic to talk... then spun around and dropped Tomko with a superkick! He got up in Christian's face but the other man backed down, Jason turned to the crowd not seeing Christian grab the chair, he took a swing but Jason sidestepped and it came back off the top-rope and hit Christian in the face! He staggered backwards and Jason lifted him into a torture rack, he walked around the ring as the crowd yelled it's approval then spun Christian into a sitout powerbomb! He stood over his opponent then shrugged and dropped the mic on his chest and left the ring with a smirk.

At the top of the ramp the teen turned and looked back to where Christian and Tomko lay motionless, Jason Cena had made his point, and he had made it without saying one word.

* * *

_Welp. Back in the thick of things, Jason vs Christian at Sacrifice, what's gonna happen? Wait and see._


End file.
